MA · wells & permits
Water wells in Massachusetts
Real drilling records, county depth medians, active contractors, and exactly what it takes to pull a well permit in Massachusetts.
The permit, in plain language
Town Board of Health
MassDEP Private Well Guidelines
- Instrument
- permit
- Fee
- Call to confirm
- Who files
- Driller or owner may file
- Timeline
- Varies
Confirm current fee with authority
Before the rig arrives
- Confirm parcel allows a private well (vs required public water connection).
- Select a licensed well contractor; obtain owner authorization as required.
- File permit with Town Board of Health (PDF/email/mail — WellMap prepares the packet; lawful submitter files).
- Do not drill until authorization is issued (or notification accepted, per regime).
After drilling: Completion + water-quality to BOH within 30 days → Town Board of Health
WellMap prepares estimate-backed quote packets and dual-party approvals. It does not issue permits and never auto-submits to government systems. The licensed driller (and/or owner where required by law) is the submitter of record. Verified 2026-07-14.
Top drillers on record
No contractor statistics for Massachusetts yet — several states publish drilling records without contractor names, and a few aren't in bulk form at all. See data & methodology.
County by county
Depth statistics across Massachusetts
Medians from wells with verified total depth. Click a county for its permit authority, fee and filing channel.
| County | Wells | With depth | Median | p10–p90 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middlesex | 28,627 | 27,221 | 225 ft | 15–600 ft |
| Worcester | 27,486 | 26,505 | 300 ft | 21–575 ft |
| Norfolk | 12,375 | 11,738 | 225 ft | 15–700 ft |
| Plymouth | 11,275 | 10,801 | 140 ft | 17–445 ft |
| Bristol | 10,898 | 10,440 | 220 ft | 15–460 ft |
| Berkshire | 10,807 | 10,614 | 253 ft | 42–500 ft |
| Barnstable | 9,146 | 8,808 | 50 ft | 25–95 ft |
| Essex | 8,654 | 8,312 | 202 ft | 14–605 ft |
| Hampden | 6,768 | 6,549 | 222 ft | 19–503 ft |
| Franklin | 5,896 | 5,730 | 265 ft | 100–500 ft |
| Hampshire | 5,413 | 5,289 | 260 ft | 32–485 ft |
| Suffolk | 2,025 | 1,968 | 17 ft | 12–30 ft |
| Dukes | 872 | 845 | 58 ft | 25–179 ft |
| Nantucket | 618 | 591 | 63 ft | 30–120 ft |